Cruel Promise

by K. A. Linde

  “Leslie,” I gasped. “That’s incredible. You’d be so great in that job.”

  Leslie patted my hand twice. “You’re sweet. Seriously, come find me. If Woodhouse wants you, then so do I.”

  I grinned as she headed confidently back into the fray. When I turned back around, Moira and Sam were staring at me, slack-jawed. My smile faltered. I’d entirely forgotten they were standing there.

  “Sorry about that. Beer?” I suggested.

  “You know Leslie Kensington,” Moira said, bouncing up and down. “And she offered you a job, working for her when she runs for the mayor of New York City. Lark, that’s amazing!”

  “Oh, thanks,” I said with a half-smile.

  “What an offer,” Sam said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as Moira directed the rest of the conversation and us to a bar.

  When Moira went to get the first round, Sam and I settled into the last available table.

  Silence stretched, and I finally got too anxious and broke it. “I’m not going to work for Leslie after this.”

  Sam furrowed his brows. “Why not? It sounds like a great opportunity.”

  “Well, maybe you could take it,” I suggested.

  He laughed. “I don’t think it’s transferable, Lark. And anyway, I’m going to apply to law schools.”

  I already had a JD. I’d gotten it so that I wouldn’t have to start working for the company yet. My parents had indulged me. Just like they had with this. One day, I was going to have to stop running.

  I looked down at my hands. “Well, actually, I made a deal with my parents.”

  “About what?”

  “That I’d work here for a year on campaign, and then after that, I’d come home and takeover the company.”

  “Really? Is that what you want to do?”

  “Yeah,” I said unconvincingly, and then with more gusto, I continued, “Yes. Yes, of course. I’ve spent my entire life preparing for this. I wanted to grab ahold of more of my youth, you know? Once I start there, it’s not like I can stop.”

  He put his hand on mine. “You know it’s just me and you, right? You can tell me what you really feel.”

  I deflated. “I don’t know, Sam. I thought for a long time that was what I wanted. And right now, that’s the path I’m on. It’s the family business. It’s what I was born for. My parents aren’t getting any younger. I don’t want the board to have to take over when they decide to retire. It feels important.”

  He nodded. “Okay. If you say so.”

  “Maybe you could apply to NYU or Columbia Law,” I suggested with excitement. “Then we could both be in the city.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” he said softly.

  Moira plunked three beers down in front of us at that moment. “Here we are! Drink up.”

  And we did. Letting the conversation slip away as easily as it had come.

  FALL

  I

  The general election was a struck match.

  One minute, nothing happened. The next, the entire world was on fire.

  With only weeks to go before Election Day, we ran around as if we were all about to be burned. Like this was life or death. Our hours were extended. Our stress levels at max capacity. There was hardly enough time for me to see Sam outside of work. And when we did, we were zombies.

  We’d all taken on assistants to ease the burden, but still, it wasn’t enough. My first assistant had been a bit of a psychopath. She’d stolen someone’s cat from their yard while canvassing and then lied about being sick to go out to eat with her friends for brunch. It obviously hadn’t worked out. So, I was pretty desperate to get a new assistant.

  I hadn’t expected the one that I got—Melissa Young.

  “Melissa,” I said slowly. My eyes lifted to Sam’s. “My assistant is Melissa Young. Why does that name sound familiar.”

  He cringed. “Uh…that’s my ex-girlfriend.”

  “What?” I asked through gritted teeth.

  “She messaged me and asked to join the campaign. She’s out of school and wanted to help make a difference.”

  “So, you suggested she come here?” I asked with mild hysteria.

  “No,” he said at once. “I mean…yes, kind of.”

  “Sam!”

  “Look, I can’t turn down volunteers. I told her how to sign up. I had no idea that she was actually going to be assigned to work in our office.”

  I blew out a harsh breath. Great. Just great. This was going to be a disaster. But I could tell that Sam hadn’t intended this to happen. Not that intentions meant anything when I was the one who was going to be saddled with his ex-girlfriend for the next two weeks.

  Melissa showed up the next day.

  “Oh my god,” she cried. “You must be Lark.”

  She dragged me into a hug. She was a good five or six inches taller than me, and I didn’t like how she hovered over me. I tried to fight back the urge to snap at her. I didn’t know her. But as much as I wanted her gone, I also wanted to do the right thing and give her the benefit of the doubt. We had to survive each other for the next three weeks. I didn’t want it to start off on the wrong foot.

  “Hi,” I said, withdrawing. “Yes, I’m Lark. And you’re Melissa, I’m guessing.”

  “Yes! Of course. I’m Melissa. And I’m so glad to be here.” She swiped her brown hair out of her heart-shaped face. She had the kind of smile that seemed to be plastered on.

  “We’re glad to have you,” I lied. Then, I went for the truth. “I really need the help.”

  “That’s what I heard!” she said, her Southern accent coming out on the edges of her words as she got animated. “Sam said this whole thing is exhausting, but I just had to be a part of it all. Too important not to be, right?”

  I nodded once and bit my tongue. I’d been here for almost a year. I knew how important it was.

  “So, you won’t have your own office. But you can flit in and out of mine and use the open space as you will. We’re a bit cramped,” I told her.

  “No worries. Where should I put my stuff?”

  “Uh…over here.” I gestured to my office that I still shared with Sam despite Toby fighting to give us each our own space.

  Luckily, Sam was out canvassing with a group of volunteers and wouldn’t be back for a while.

  Melissa deposited her suitcases into the office and dumped her giant purse on top of them. “All right,” she said eagerly, her smile reaching her big brown eyes, “what do you need me to do? Put me to work!”

  I assessed her and tried to be objective. Melissa seemed…nice. Even genuine. It surprised me. But I didn’t know why.

  Maybe because I had everything to lose. What I had with Sam, I’d never felt this way about anyone else, and the last thing I wanted was for Sam’s ex to show up and take over. We had three more weeks to permanently be in each other’s lives. I wanted to make it count. I didn’t want to think about what would happen after.

  I was pushing my own insecurities on Melissa. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Maybe I’d been stressed about all of this for no reason.

  “All right, let’s get started,” I said with a smile.

  “Well, what do you think?” Sam asked me later when we were seated at The Station with the rest of the office.

  “Of Melissa?”

  He nodded.

  My gaze shifted to where she was animatedly talking to Moira as if they were long-lost friends. I sighed. “She seems really nice, Sam.”

  He laughed. “I knew you two would get along.”

  “I still think it’s kind of weird,” I admitted. “But she was a huge help today. She fit seamlessly into my established organization and took so much stress off of my shoulders.”

  “Good.” He leaned forward and kissed me once on the lips. “I’m so glad, Lark. You really need the help.”

  “God, I really do,” I agreed. “Especially after dealing with Virginia.”

  Sam groaned. “Virginia. What a nightmare.”

  “I still c
annot believe that she tried to steal that person’s cat.”

  He chuckled under his breath. “Like, what was she even thinking?”

  “I have no idea. It’s hilarious now, but when Maria called me in a panic because Virginia, my own paid assistant, had stolen someone’s cat, it was awful. Calling Virginia and figuring out why the fuck she had stolen a cat and demanding she return it with an apology?” My head sank into my hands. “The worst.”

  Sam couldn’t stop laughing. “It’s probably the best-slash-worst thing that has happened on campaign.”

  “I’m glad that she’s gone. She hated working but fooled everyone into thinking that she liked to work.”

  “Melissa will be better for you. She worked on campaigns back in North Carolina. She’ll do a great job.”

  I looked at her one more time and nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

  He patted my hand once and then stood. “I’m going to the restroom. If they come back with my fries, try not to eat them all before I get back.”

  I grinned devilishly. “No promises.”

  He shook his head at me as he walked away.

  As soon as he was gone, Melissa plopped down in front of me. “Hey there, boss.”

  “Hey. How was your first day?”

  “Great, great,” she said cheerfully. Then, she conspiratorially leaned forward. “So, between us girls, are you and Sam serious?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I said, warning signs blaring. This was not a good conversation. I needed to back away slowly.

  “And you think…what? You’ll stay together after the campaign?”

  There was something else in Melissa’s brown eyes now. Deceit.

  “That’s the plan,” I ground out.

  Melissa laughed softly. “That’s cute.”

  “What is?” I asked despite myself.

  “Sam doesn’t do long distance.” She shrugged her shoulders as if she were sympathetic. “So, if you go back to New York, that’s that.” She wiped her hands together twice.

  “I think I’m done with this conversation,” I said, rising to my feet.

  Melissa smiled dangerously as she stood to meet me. “We might work together, Lark, but I’m here for Sam. He’s going to be mine. By the end of this, I’m going to win him back.”

  Something snapped inside of me. The Upper East Side bitch inside who didn’t take shit, who could eat someone like Melissa Young for breakfast. I channeled that girl who owned Manhattan and knew that Melissa stood no chance against Larkin St. Vincent.

  I leaned in real close and gave her my best eat-shit-and-die look. “If you try, Melissa,” I crooned, “I’ll ruin your life.”

  Then I pushed back from the table and went to sit with Moira instead. My blood was boiling. I wanted to tell Sam, to get it all out in the open, but Melissa would deny it. I was sure of it. And it would make me look bad.

  No, we’d handle this between us girls.

  If she made a move on my boyfriend, she’d find out that hers wouldn’t be the first life I’d ruined. And I followed through on all of my promises.

  II

  Fall in Wisconsin was way too cold for my sensibilities. I was used to perfect New York falls, and this did not cut it.

  I shivered as I stepped out of my Subaru and entered the office. It was swamped. With so little time until Election Day, our schedules were jam-packed. I wished that I were doing something mindless right then. Instead, I’d sent Melissa out to canvass and not heard from her in hours. She hadn’t responded to any of my texts or calls.

  I stuck my head into my joint office with Sam. “Hey,” I said when I saw him inside.

  “Lark, you’re back,” he said with a smile. “I thought you’d be on campus all day.”

  “Well, I would be, but I can’t find Melissa. She was supposed to be canvassing. I had her down as a team lead this afternoon. But I haven’t seen her in hours. Have you seen her?”

  “Shit, she didn’t call?”

  My brows furrowed. “About what?”

  Sam ran a hand back through his hair. “Her volunteer housing fell through.”

  “What?” I asked, confused and also suspicious. “Already? It’s only been a few days.”

  “I know. She came here freaking out because the volunteer had to get her out within the hour. I guess the guy was a real jerk about it.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense. All of the housing is vetted months in advance. How would that happen?”

  “I don’t know, Lark. But it did. It was awful. She was a crying mess when she talked to me. I helped her get out of there as fast as she could.”

  My stomach knotted at those words. “Did you talk to Toby? What house is she staying at now?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t even think. I kind of…invited her to stay with me.”

  I straightened. “You did what?”

  “She was in such a horrible place. I figured, it’s two weeks, and she can crash on my couch like I did at yours.”

  “We hooked up the entire time you stayed on my couch,” I reminded him.

  His cheeks turned red. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  “What I know is that you’re letting your ex-girlfriend stay in your apartment, Sam.”

  He sighed. “Fuck. Lark, I swear it’s not a big deal.”

  He couldn’t be that naive to think that Melissa wasn’t playing the long game. He really believed her bullshit that something had happened with her housing. It sucked because he didn’t see it.

  “Sam,” I groaned. “What are you doing?”

  He stood and pulled me to him. “I’m not doing anything. I’m just being nice. You know I love you.”

  “I do,” I whispered.

  “Melissa is staying for two weeks on my couch. We’re never home, except to pass out. I swear it isn’t going to be a big deal. Why don’t you come over tonight and see for yourself?”

  I really, really didn’t want to do that. But I also had to do that. Because I knew that Melissa was after Sam, and this was the start of her game plan. I needed to be there to cockblock her. To show her that he was already mine.

  I nodded. “Fine. Okay. But I still don’t like it.”

  “I understand, but I’ll show you that it’s nothing. Promise.”

  He kissed me, and I almost believed him.

  “Wait, you’re telling me that your boyfriend is letting his ex-girlfriend stay in his apartment?” one of my best friends, Katherine asked over the phone.

  I paced my bedroom in frustration.

  As soon as I’d gotten home, I’d called Katherine. It was late, but she was a socialite and never slept. I had known she’d be up and available to talk. And also, she was maybe the most dangerous, conniving person I knew.

  “Yes,” I muttered. “It’s a disaster.”

  “Tell the bitch to move the fuck out, Lark.”

  “As much as I’d love to do that, I think it’d hurt Sam. He’s never seen me act that way.”

  Katherine laughed. “He sounds like a nice guy.”

  “He is.”

  “Nice guys bulldozer hearts,” Katherine told me. “And they do it with a smile on their face.”

  “I don’t think they’re hooking up or anything. But I don’t want Melissa to make a move on him.”

  “You know what I’d do?”

  I sighed. I knew where this was going. “What’s that, Katherine?”

  “Establish dominance. If you don’t, she will.”

  I tipped my head up to the ceiling. “I don’t think playing a game of What Would Katherine Do is productive.”

  “That means, you’d win. Now, buck up, St. Vincent,” Katherine said with a tinkling laugh. “Go get your man.”

  I laughed and then ended the call. Katherine was a bit of a head case, but she was basically family, and I loved her. Her pep talks worked, too. I was already feeling better.

  And I did know what I needed to do.

  I hastily changed out of work clothes and into a sex
y off-the-shoulder sweater and skintight jeans. Then, I drove over to Sam’s place. I knocked once and then let myself inside. Melissa’s suitcases were pushed into a corner. She was seated on the couch in what I guessed were her pajamas—a teeny-tiny tank top and even smaller shorts. She had to be freezing, considering the lows right now were in the thirties.

  “Hey, Lark,” Melissa said with her sugary-sweet smile.

  Sam came out of the back bedroom in gray sweats and a hoodie. “Hey, you made it.”

  “Yeah, I had to get out of work clothes.”

  Sam covered his mouth as he yawned. “I get that. You look good.”

  “Thanks,” I said, walking toward him.

  He put his hands on my hips as I stood on my toes to press a kiss to his mouth. I definitely shouldn’t have listened to Katherine’s advice. But I could practically feel Melissa squirming behind me. So, it felt worth it.

  I gently pushed him back into the bedroom. He laughed softly as I toed the door closed behind us. The connotation was clear. Mine, mine, mine.

  My hands slid under his hoodie, and I grazed his toned abs with my nails.

  “What are you doing?” he asked with that perfect Sam smile.

  “Touching you.”

  “Right now? I thought you were here to see that everything was fine. We’ve been home for, like, twenty minutes, and I’m ready to crash.”

  “Uh-huh,” I said, running a finger along the waistband of his sweats.

  He shuddered under my touch. “I think you have something else on your mind.”

  I bit my lip. “That obvious, huh?”

  I stood on my toes again and firmly pressed my lips against his. He pulled me close at the heat in the kiss, and I could tell that I had him.

  “Okay,” he whispered against me. “As long as we’re quiet.”

  “Oh, I can be quiet,” I murmured as quiet as a mouse.

  “You generally are not.”

  I sank my hand into his pants and ran down the length of him. “Neither are you.”